Please Remember Me
by Levy the Chibi
Summary: This is an AU story based off of a roleplay on tumblr! :D If you thinks its OOC, i dun care! :D I hope you enjoy!
1. Prolouge

Tower of Paradise Orphanage. It was known as a safe haven for young children, even if the matron was not kind at all. The children were afraid of the matron, but it was better than being on the streets. In this place, 3 children stayed together and worked together to be strong. A set of siblings and one other girl. The siblings were of a boy and a girl. The Girl was the older sibling, older by 6 years. She was a genius when it came to business. Her name was Ultear. Her brother, age 6, was a sweet, gentle boy who wanted to make sure everyone was happy, especially the other girl. His name was Jellal. The final child's name was Erza and she was Jellal's best friend. The two of them were the same age and worked together to keep the spirits of the children in the orphanage up. The three of them, Jellal, Erza and Ultear, had been there for as long as they could remember. They had a very strong bond and they believed that no one could tear them apart.

"Yes, I would like to adopt a set of siblings, if you have them." A man spoke to the Matron. She smirked. For years now, she had been wanting to get rid of those two.

"I have the perfect two." She sneered. The man nodded and paid the price. There was no going back now.

"Please wait here" The Matron got to her feet and moved to the courtyard where Jellal, Erza and Ultear were playing.

"Jellal! Ultear! Go get whatever things you have! You're leaving!" She said in her harsh voice. Jellal and Ultear froze. They were both glad to be leaving, but to leave their best friend behind...

The two got up slowly and moved to the bedrooms. Erza followed them both. Jellal had nothing to bring with him, while Ultear had a couple of books on accounting and business. Once they had gathered their items, they moved to the entrance hall, where their new father was waiting for them. Erza grabbed Jellal's hand and looked up at him. She took off her sword necklace, her most treasured item, and handed it to Jellal. He blinked and shook his head. She shook hers and forced it into his hands. She sniffled, tears rolling down her face.

"We'll meet again, Erza! I swear it!" Jellal grinned and put the necklace on. Erza waved goodbye from the steps as the card drove away.


	2. Chapter 1

Erza Scarlet walked into the patient's room, holding a story book. She puts on a fake smile as she approached the person in the bed.

"Hello, Jellal." She greeted the sleeping figure of Jellal Fernandes, knowing that she would not be receiving a response. It had been like this for a while now and she was used to it.

It had been three years since the accident. Three years and still nothing has changed. But she wouldn't give up. She knew that he was still in there. She just had to have patience. Erza was exhausted, as she had worked a double shift that day and was supposed to be home by now, but she still made time to care for him. She never let anyone else do it. She half way felt responsible for what had occurred. After all, if he had not pushed her out of the way that day, she would probably be in his place. The car had aimed for her. She should have been in that hospital bed, not him.

She shook her head clear of the thought. '_No use beating yourself up over what happened in the past._' She cleared her throat and opened the story book up.

"So, where were we last time? Oh yes..." And so, she began to read to him, just like she did everyday.

Jellal had such a peaceful look on his face as Erza read to him, the steady beat of the heart monitor in the background. Of course, his expression had not changed in three years. No change at all.

"You're still here, Erza?" Came a voice from the doorway. When Erza turned to look, she saw Ultear and Meredy. Ultear was Jellal's sister and Meredy was her adopted daughter. She was twelve now, being nine when Jellal got in his accident. He had been living with them since their parents had passed away. Their parents weren't biological though. Jellal and Ultear had been adopted. She was the assistant CEO of a huge company, so they did have a lot of money. Ultear usually put it away in an account for safe keeping and only used what they needed.

The two walked in and over to Erza. Meredy sat on the floor beside the bed and peered of the side at her uncle. The two of them had tried to come as often as they could to visit Jellal.

"At this time, I figured you would have left by now." Ultear said softly, placing her hand on Erza's shoulder. Erza worked as a nurse in the clinic of their small town. When Jellal first got in his accident, he had been rushed to a major hospital several towns over. But once he was in stable condition, they had transferred him to the clinic in his town.

Erza bookmarked her place and closed the story book, rubbing her tired eyes. She sighed, as she saw Ultear and Meredy came in. They had been coming here to visit at least once a week. They were some of the few people who hadn't given up on Jellal.

"Yes, well, my shift ended an hour ago but...I had to come read to him..." She looked at Jellal. She did this once a day. The doctor said that he could still hear her voice, even in his current state and reading helps him a little. Some say it was just foolish thinking and that it was just the doctor's way of comforting her. But she still had to try. She owes him that, and so much more.

Ultear smiled down at Erza,"You and Jellal...Your bond is so strong." She said as Meredy placed her hand on her Uncle's. Ultear watched her and smiled sadly.

"Erza, you know you're free to come stay with Meredy and Myself. Your house is so far away from the hospital, and you're getting so worn out. If you keep things up like this, you'll wind up in the hospital as well." She said with a light chuckle. Erza took off her nurse cap and untied her hair, letting her long, scarlet locks flow down her back.

"I'd like that..." She spoke as she looked down at her cap. Staying with them would save her lots of time and gas money..but...

"If staying with you is not too much trouble, I want to pay rent during my stay."

"I'll do the calculations when I return home to see how much you'll have to pay me each month, Alright?" She smiled warmly. Ultear owned a very nice house of her own, and they had an extra bedroom, so that was where Erza would be staying.

"Be sure you come to my house this evening when you leave, alright? I'll take you to your house to get your things tomorrow, after you've gotten some rest." She spoke before turning to look at her daughter.

"Come along, Meredy. It's time to head home."

"But I want to stay. What if Uncle Jellal wakes up?" The young girl said. Ultear smiled softly and walked over, placing her hand on her head.

"I know you want to be here for your uncle when he wakes up, but he'll still be here tomorrow, whether he wakes up or not." Meredy looked at her mother and nodded. She got up, gave Erza a hug goodbye and the two left.

Erza smiled and nodded in thanks, as the mother and daughter left, leaving her along with Jellal once again. She was almost done with the chapter, so she decided to stay a little longer to finish it up. The story kind of reminded her of how her and Jellal's love life was like, or at least, what was left of it. It was painful for her to read it, but once she reads it, she can't put it down without finishing it, as it was her favorite story. It was also the one she would read out loud to Jellal the most.

Her face was wet with tears by the time she read the last lines. "...and for their love, they would risk life itself..."

As Erza spoke those last lines, Jellal's hand placed itself on hers. His hand was warm, even though his body had been pretty much lifeless for three years. The expression on his face was still the same. His eyes were still closed and his breathing was the same as before. What just happened?


	3. Chapter 2

Erza let out a small gasp. The story book she had in her lap dropped to the floor as tears flowed from her eyes. She took a firm hold of the man's hand.

"Jellal?" She asked hopefully, but she received no response.

"Doctor...I'll go get the doctor!" She dropped his hand and scrambled out of the room. She ran down the hall as fast as she could, running into the doctor. She panted, telling him what had happened. Erza waited outside as the doctor went in and examined Jellal. After what seemed like hours to her, the doctor finally retreated form the room. Erza stopped her pacing and looked at him.

"Erza. I think you are over working yourself. Jellal's condition has not changed. I'm sorry." He sighed and walked back to his office. She returned to Jellal's bedside and looked at him. She held the hand he had grabbed over her head. She can still feel the warmth of his grip. _Was it really just a dream? _She sighed in defeat and picked the story book off the floor. She really did need some rest. With one last look at the man she loved, she walked out the door.

When she arrived at the Milkovich household, Ultear welcome Erza with open arms. The two worked on dinner together.

"Each month, you'll owe me 60,000 jewels, alright?" She told the scarlet haired woman over dinner. The two of them were eating chicken while Meredy, being a vegetarian, ate vegetable stew. Erza nodded and stayed quiet the rest of the night, her mind still on what had occurred earlier at the hospital. Once the table had been cleared and the dishes washed, Ultear showed Erza to where she would be sleeping. There was a guest room to the left of Jellal's bedroom. It had a queen sized bed, a wardrobe with a television on top and a desk. Erza thanked Ultear with a nod before laying down and trying to sleep.

Erza didn't have work until later in the afternoon the following day. Around mid-morning, Ultear woke the younger girl from her slumber so they could go and get her clothing from her own home. Once back from their little adventure, Ultear assisted Erza in putting the items away. The scarlet haired woman's mind was constantly a flutter with thoughts of Jellal. She spent most of the day laying in bed, just thinking of what could have happened. The doctor said it had been nothing. But should she believe him?

Around three thirty, Erza headed to work. As soon as she arrived, she headed for Jellal's room. She opened the door and peeked in. There was no longer a form on the bed. She rushed inside and looked around. He wasn't there at all.

_Jellal...Where are you..? Calm down, Erza. Keep a cool head. Maybe they just moved him to another room! Yeah..Yeah that's it! But...They haven't moved him in three years. Why now?_ These thoughts raced through her head as she rushed out. Rather than going to find a doctor, she headed for the enclosed garden. Somehow, in her heart, she knew he would be there. As she bolted out the door, she stumbled slightly, causing a man to turn and look at her. The man she closed was right in front of her. Awake. She went to call out his name, but stopped. Something was wrong. Why was he looking at her like she was a stranger? Jellal blinked as Erza slowly walked closer to him, his fingers lightly touching the petals of the red flowers.

"Who are you, miss..?" He questioned. His voice sounded confused as all hell, "Do you possibly know who I am? Is my name Erza? It's the only thing I can remember."

"Y...You don't know who I am..? I...That's not.." She stammered as the blue haired man stepped closer to her and stared into her eyes, "Jellal, stop this joking around. It's not funny." But she could tell that this was no joke. His eyes showed confusion and wonder. He really didn't remember.

"Je...llal? Is that my name?" He blinked and pointed at himself. His eyes traveled down her body until it reached the name tag that was perched on the right side of her chest.

"Erza...Ah! You're Erza?" He pointed at her as if he had just found out some huge secret. Erza couldn't help but laugh, despite the tears in her eyes. She didn't know if she should cry or laugh. He was awake and apparently healthy, but he had no memory. Except for her name that is.

"Excuse me?" Jellal waved his hand in front of Erza's face.

"Y-yes?" She said, jumping out of the daze she had been.

"I asked if you knew who I am." He said. Erza looked into his eyes and took a deep breath in order to calm down. She didn't want to freak Jellal out too much.

"Yes. My name is Erza Scarlet. I'm...I'm a close friend of yours..." She said, looking down a little bit. She was going to say girlfriend, but it didn't feel right after what had happened.

"A close friend?" He looked into her eyes and then smiled happily.

"Alright then, Erza! I'm trusting you, since you know who I am!" He grinned. _Damn He's so different now. _Erza thought as she looked at him. He was also so serious and a bit uptight since they had reunited in their first year of High School. But now, he was like a child. The grin he had was so carefree, just like when they were in the orphanage. It was a smile that made Erza feel like everything was going to be okay. But it wasn't going to be, was it?

"We should get you back to your room and have one of the doctors examine you." She turned to walk and lead him, but blushed bright red as Jellal took her hand. It was so warm. A feeling she had missed. Erza smiled sadly as he continued to grin at her.

They walked back to his room and found a doctor already waiting there for them. The doctor told Erza to stay outside the room as the examination occurred. She smiled a bit.

"I'll be right in when he's done." She told him in a reassuring manner. He smiled and thanked her before entering the room.

Erza leaned against the wall as she waited what seemed like forever. She got to her feet quickly as the doctor exited the room.

"He is perfectly healthy, but he has lost all of his memories, except for your name. I don't know why it stuck, but it did. You should probably contact his sister to let her know what has happened." With that, he left. As Erza entered the room, like she had promised, Jellal was sitting on the bed, buttoning his shirt. He looked up and smiled.

"He was really nice." He grinned. That doctor was the head of the hospital and was a very stern man. He wasn't kind at all. Erza blinked as what Jellal had said.

"Are you joking? He's the sternest-" She froze mid-sentence as she noticed his grin, "O..oh you were joking.." She blushed bright red, clearing her throat awkwardly. This 'new' Jellal will take time to get used to.

"No. I'm not joking. He was very nice." His grin widened as he stretched. Erza chuckled a bit, pulling out her cellphone, calling Ultear. A huge scream was heard, causing Erza to pull the phone awake from her eat, not wanting to damage her eardrums.

"Who was that?" Jellal tilted his head in question as she put her phone back in her pocked. Obviously, the person on the other end knew him, other wise they would not have been contacted. Pretending she didn't hear him, Erza put her phone away and started to pack up the few things he had.

"That would be your sister, Ultear. I am sure she will be thrilled to see you up and about." Although she won't be too happy about the memory loss, as Erza didn't get passed 'He's awake' before the scream had erupted. They walked outside to wait for their ride and within minutes, Ultear came running up to them. Before Erza could even say something, Ultear rushed passed her and tackled her brother into a bone crushing hug. Jellal yelled out in surprised as he and Ultear crashed to the ground. He groaned in slight pain as he landed.

"Oh Jellal! You have no idea how happy I am that you're awake!" She sobbed as she nuzzled her brother. He blinked in complete confusion and looked at Erza.

"Is this what sisters do? Or is my sister just strange?" The older woman froze and looked at the red haired. She walked over and pried Ultear off of Jellal.

"Give him some room to breath, Ur." She turned back to Jellal and helped him back to his feet. "Err...No, Ur is just strange like that." Erza joked, or at least tried to. She sighed and turned back to look at the woman as Jellal nodded.

"There is something you should know. Jellal, by some miracle, is healed but...he lost all of his memories.

"H...He lost his memories..?" She blinked and sighed sadly. "Well, at least he is healthy." She smiled a bit as Jellal looked at them.

"Can you two tell me who I am, exactly?" He asked, sitting on a nearby bench.

"Well, let's start with you and Erza. She's-" Erza slapped her hand over Ultear's mouth, silencing her.

"A good friend and nothing more! Jellal, please excuse us for a minute." The scarlet haired woman pulled the raven haired woman down the street.

"Ur, Look, I...I do not want Jellal to know of our past together. You can tell him everything, but please..leave our relationship out." She looked down at the ground and put her lower lip. She felt so guilty about the fight they had before this all had happened. If she hadn't cheated on him with Simon, they would have never fought and she would have never run out into the road without looking. Had that not happened, Jellal would never have pushed her out of the way of that oncoming van, ending up hurt. Jellal blinked in confusion but shrugged, eating the roll of bread he had grabbed before being dragged outside.

Ultear looked at Erza. She had known the woman cheated on her brother with Simon, but she did not know why. "Alright, I won't. But you have to tell me why you cheated on my brother. I never an answer the last time I asked, so I would like one now." Erza nodded.

"Thank you. And I will tell you, just not right now. For now, let's just focus on Jellal right now. The doctor says he's well enough to go home. Also, try not to jump him again. We would not want him to his his head...Again."

"Erza, please. I am not a violent person." Ultear huffed as they walked back up the street., "The only reason I tackled him to the ground was because I was so excited to see my brother awake." Ultear hissed as she grabbed a bag from the back of her car.

"A normal person would just give him a hug." Erza mumbled as Jellal smiled at them. Ultear had always been a bit rough. She remembered when they were little, Ultear would wrestle with the boys at the orphanage. And she would almost always win.

"Oh hush, Erza." Ultear chuckled before turning back to her brother.

"Jellal, I've brought some of your clothes from home so you have something to leave in, ok?" She smiled sweetly. Her brother nodded and headed inside to the bathroom. When done, he walked back out to them in a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Erza looked Jellal up and down, studying him a little.

"Hm...you've lost a bit of weight. We'll have to get you some new clothing." She commented as they climbed into the car. Erza and Jellal sat beside each other in the back. Ultear started the car and began to drove home.

"Erza, Do I have any friends other than you?" He looked at her with a gentle smile. He really was much different now. He was more like he was when they were children: curious, ambitious and very determined. All of this showed in his eyes.


	4. Chapter 3

Seeing him now reminded her of back when they were kids. He was so at ease back then and always looked to the bright side, even during the darkest of times. She was surprised at how much he had changed when they first met after being separated as children. It was one of the reasons she did what she did...

"Well, there is Simon.." She regretting it the moment she said it, but it was too late to take it back now. Her gaze fell upon him, praying that it would not trigger any memories. She didn't want him to remember. At least, not those memories.

"Simon?" Jellal blinked as the car pulled into the driveway, "I can't wait to meet him! What is he like?" He asked as the got out.

"I um...It's for the best if you don't meet him.." She said as the headed into the house. Erza hadn't contacted Simon since Jellal went to the hospital and she would much rather keep it that way. She didn't want him to say anything to Jellal that would trigger any unpleasant memories.

"Erza, can you show Jellal to him room? I need to get dinner started." Ultear asked as she closed the front door.

"Sure. Your room is next to mine, Jellal. Follow me."They walked up to his room and opened the door.

"Ur said she kept everything the same from when you left that morning..."

"That morning?" Jellal blinked and looked at Erza before entering his room. He walked through it, looking around. Erza followed him, keeping an eye on him in case something happened. He let out a groan, a few memories starting to return. The woman started to panic a bit when she heard it, but decided to give him some space. The memories were far too fuzzy to make out anything of significance. All he could make out was Erza's red hair. But he decided to stay quiet. The man moved to his bedside table and saw a necklace there. It had a sword pendant attached to the silver chair. He knew this necklace, but he didn't know from where.

"Erza, can you explain this necklace?" Jellal asked, holding it to her, since she was now on the bed. He sat beside her, her eyes widening slightly at the necklace. It was the same one she had given him all those years ago. Erza didn't believe he kept it for this long.

"That...it was a gift from me..." It was not a lie at all. She had given it to him as a parting gift as children. Jellal looked at it and smiled warmly. He knew that this necklace was very special to him. Without waiting another moment, he undid the clasp and put it on. He smiled before slipping the pendant under his shirt. Little did Erza know, he had worn that pendant everyday except for the day of his accident. He had been so upset with Erza cheating on him with his best friend that he left the house in a rage. While on his way to school, he had seen Erza. The started to argue once more and the red haired woman had stormed across the street while the light was green. Knowing she was in danger, Jellal had run to push her out of the way. That was when he was hit by the car.

"So..Erza, can you tell me about 'that morning' you mention before?" He leaned closer to her. Erza fidgeted, looking down at her hands. She didn't want to tell him too much about what happened.

"Th-there isn't much to tell. You got hit by a car on your way to school and ended up in the hospital for three years." There was so much she had left out, but he doesn't need to know all the details.

"Th-three years!?" He blinked in amazement, placing a hand on his head, "I don't want to go back to school again." He paused, looking at her. He could tell she wasn't telling him something.

"U-Um...Meredy should be coming home soon and I am sure she'd like to know you're okay. Oh, she's Ur's adopted daughter, by the way.

"Erza..." Ignoring what she had just said, he placed his hand on hers as he gazed into her eyes, "I don't think we're just friends, Erza. I can feel it...you mean so much more to me. I mean...Why else would I only remember your name?"

"Ah. You don't have to worry about going back to school. We were just about to graduate when the accident occurred." Erza replied, pulling her hand away gently. She was starting to feel really uncomfortable. She didn't know if she could keep lying to him like this, but the truth would be more painful.

"Trust me, Jellal. It is better if you don't ask too much on the topic of us." Jellal stared at her before letting out a sigh.

"Very well." He pulled his hand back and looked down at the floor, wanting to remember. He knew there was something between them, and he was determined to find out what. As the silence continued, they just sat there, next to each other. In the middle of the silence, the door burst open and Meredy rushed in. She stared at Jellal before running over. The girl hugged him tightly as she started to sob, very happy that her uncle was awake.

"H-Hello..." Jellal blinked in confusion. Erza laughed lightly, relieved that there was something to break the awkwardness in the air.

"Jellal, this is Meredy. I see she has taken taken her mother's habit of tackling people. At least this time she is small enough that you won't fall over." The red-haired woman patted the young girl's back gently, "Don't cry. Jellal is okay now." Jellal chuckled and lightly patted Meredy's pink hair. The young girl just continued to cry tears of happiness. Ultear had told her that he lost his memory, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be held by the ones she loved so much.

After some time, they heard Ultear calling them all down for dinner. Meredy for up and went first, followed by Erza. When Jellal began to leave, he saw a picture frame turned down on his desk. Walking over, he lifted it up. It was a photograph of him and Erza. Jellal had his arms wrapped around the girl in a loving embrace. Both of them looked so happy. Just from the picture, he could tell that they had been together before the accident. Confused as to why Erza wouldn't tell him the truth, he figured he would bring it up later when alone with her. For now, it was time for dinner. He walked down the stairs slowly, a hand on his head. Since seeing that picture, a few memories were becoming clear, causing his head to hurt.

Down in the kitchen, Erza frowned as she sat in her seat at the dinner table. Jellal was taking quite a long time to come down. He should have been right behind her. Worried, the scarlet haired woman got up from the table and heads for the stairs to find him. She hoped seeing the necklace didn't have any negative effect on him. Even when his memory was lost, he still seemed to cherish it. In the middle of climbing the stairs, she looked up to see Jellal standing there, holding his head. He was leaning against the wall, the pain of his head too much. She walked up to him slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Jellal? Are you alright?" The man opened his eyes and looked at Erza.

"Y-yes...I just have a nasty headache, that's all..." He said lowly. Loud noises and bright lights were causing him to feel sick. The memories slowly returning and becoming clear were giving him a migraine. Erza's frown deepened.

"Perhaps it's best if you go lay down. I'll bring your dinner up to you. But first, let me help your room so you can rest." He looked like he was about to fall over, so she placed a hand on his back, causing him to smile. She was planning to ask the doctor in the morning about this. Having been a nurse for a short time, there were things she was still learning. As they climbed the stairs, Jellal kept one hand over his eyes, gritting his teeth. When they got to his room and laying on his bed, Erza went to the windows and closed every curtain. As she closed the ones by his desk, she saw the picture Ultear had taken the summer before the accident when they had gone to the park. Meredy was visible in the background chasing a butterfly. Once the room was dark, Jellal opened his eyes a bit more, looking over at Erza weakly.

"Thank you, Erza."

"Of course. That's what...friends are for." Erza spoke as she walked over, placing a hand on his and smiling. She hoped he didn't notice the little hesitation in her voice. It felt strange being friends with him after all that had happened. They were friends, lovers, even rivals once when they went against each other during a school competition. She really doesn't know if they are really friends right now.

"Are you hungry? I could go get your food right now if you are." She asked him.

"No..." He breathed, moving his hand to entwine his fingers with hers, "I've lost my appetite.." He chuckled nervously. He knew that her had to eat, but it would just come back up not much later. He squeezed her hand lightly, not wanting her to leave his side.

"Please just stay...I feel so relaxed when you're with me.." Erza nodded and sat down on the bed beside him. She knew Ultear would bring them something once she noticed they had not come back down to dinner. Jellal slowly sat up and rested his head on Erza's shoulder. Generally, it was the other way around, but with Jellal feeling ill, it was alright. He was more comfortable this way. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the presence of one another.

"Has anything come back to you?" She asked to break the silence. She was a little fearful of the answer, but she had to know. Jellal remained silent, unsure if he should tell her or not. After all, she had wanted to hide her relationship from him, but it wasn't best to lie.

"Yes. I looked at the picture on the desk, and a few things came back to me." Erza had been daydreaming a bit before he spoke. She had missed this. Laying with Jellal on his bed without a care in the world. It reminded her of happier times. Times before things got so out of hand. She wished they could go back to those times. When he confessed, she snapped out of her thoughts and stiffened her body slightly.

"I..I see." She didn't know what else to say. Erza shifted to look at him, an expecting look in her eyes.

"Are...you not going to ask me about it?" She knew she shouldn't push the subject, but she didn't want him to think she was a liar. She finally had his trust again and she didn't want to lose it. Jellal shifted his head slightly to peer at her. He brought his hand to her hair and played with the ends of her long, scarlet strands. He stayed quiet for some time before actually speaking.

"Why did you not tell me?"

"Some things are better left forgotten.." She said, avoiding his gaze by looking off to the side. Now that he knows, there is no turning back now. She bit her lips a little.

"It's true. We did used to date. But...that was a long time ago. We..we broke up." They were dating three years ago, but they never officially broke up. So what she said was not a total lie.

"Why did be break up, Erza? We seem to happy in the picture." He spoke as he pointed, "Please, Erza. Stop hiding things from me. I want my memories back. If I don't get enough information, they may never return."

"I..." Erza was about to make another excuse when her phone rang. She sighed, taking out her phone. _Simon..What timing_. She had been avoiding him for three years. It was time to stop running away. She had to face her problems.

"I have to take this," She spoke as she stood up, "We'll talk about this later. Just get some rest, Jellal." With that, she left the room and close the door. Jellal sighed as she left. He really had wanted her to stay. She was so warm and the comfort he felt when with her helped his migraine. As the door closed, he shut his eyes and slowly began to drift off into a restless sleep. Once out in the hall, Erza answered her phone.

"We need to talk."


	5. Chapter 4

"Hm? Talk about what, Erza?" Simon asked when he heard her speak, "What's the matter? Is it something with Jellal? Has his condition changed?" She sighed, leaning against the wall beside her.

"He's woken up, Simon. But he has no memories of...well, anything really." She looked around and noticed that Ultear was coming up the stairs with some food. "Look, I can't talk now. We need to meet up and talk about this. Meet me in front of the school tomorrow around noon." Before Simon could say anything in protest, Erza had hung up the phone. He sighed, running a hand through his sleep black hair.

"Fuck..." He mumbled to himself.

"Is everything already, Erza?" Ultear asked as she stopped at the top of the stairs. She had two plates of food on a tray for the two of them. She made beef stroganoff, but it was too bad Jellal's portion would go to waste. Erza placed her phone back in her pocket as she walked over to Ultear with the food. She could lie to her and say everything was fine, but she had lied enough for today. She could hear soft snoring, indicating that Jellal had fallen asleep.

"No, not really." She brought the tray over to her room, with Ultear following, knowing the girl wanted to talk. Not really feeling hungry, she placed the food on the small table in her room and went to the bed, sitting silently.

"Tell me about it, Erza," Ultear said softly before sitting on the bed beside her .She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, letting her know it was alright to tell her.

"It has to do with Jellal, right?" Erza nodded and remained silent for a bit before speaking.

"Ur, you know I love your brother. I always have and always will. But he changed. He wasn't the Jellal I knew and loved. I don't know what happened to make him change so much. I was foolish back then. I thought that by being with him, I could some how change him back to the way he used to be." She let out a bitter laugh, "But I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't take all the pressure of school and having to hold on to the relationship. And there was Simon. He was so kind and caring. It was minded me of how Jellal used to be and so..I gave him. But I didn't want to lose Jellal. Not after everything we had gone through together. So I kept them both. After a few days of that, I tried to break it off with Simon and well..Jellal found out before I could. You know what happened next. I'm sorry.." The red-haired woman gripped the bed sheets tightly. Ultear listened to Erza speaking, her face staying the same. As she saw Erza gripping the bed sheets, the older woman brought her into a hug. She stroked Erza's hair lightly.

"I know why he changed...He did it to hide something very painful that happened to him while I was away at college..." She spoke in a low whisper, "I never brought it up to Jellal because I was unsure how his new personality would take being told the truth." She pulled away and sighed before looking into Erza's eyes.

"I'm sure you noticed the terrible bruises and the scars on his body while treating him at the hospital for those 3 years." Erza frowned, as she remembered them. She had always thought they were from the accident. But now that she thought about it, the scars looked like they had been there for years. That explains why Jellal never took off his shirt and always wore long sleeves, even when it was one hundred degrees outside. The news just made Erza feel even more guilty. Instead of making the pain go away, she probably made it worse for him. She didn't deserve to be with him. Not after what she had done.

"Ur, I'm so sorry." She felt tears beginning to form in her eyes. The woman brought the girl into a warm and calming embrace. It was so motherly and comforting.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Erza. It isn't your fault those things happened." She pulled away and wiped away friend's tears.

"After I returned home, I noticed Jellal had changed. He never told me, but I figured it out. I took the man who adopted us to court and he went to jail for it. It was Jellal and I after that. We moved away from that house and wound up here. I had to home school him for middle school because he refused to go. When High School came around, I was finally able to convince him to go back to school. And there you were." She explained, "He was so happy. He didn't show it, but I could see it in his eyes. I'm sure you saw it too." Erza sniffled and nodded, listening to Ultear. Well, that would explain why she didn't see him again until high school. She moved to the town a year or so after Ultear and Jellal had been adopted. She was lucky. Really lucky. Erza had been adopted by a caring couple, who did everything they could to make sure she was happy. To think they were so close all these years, but never met. Fate sure liked to play with people. A sad smile appeared on her face.

"He was happy. I gave him a chance at happiness and took it away..."

"I'm positive Jellal will forgive you if you explain everything," Ultear explained with a gentle smile, "There is something you should know. Do you remember that necklace you gave him when we were torn apart? He wore it every day. He would put it on each morning when he woke up and take it off before bed. He always kept it close to him. After the incident and after my return, I would wake up during the night to hear him crying. I peeked into his room once. He was holding the necklace so tightly, I thought it would be pushed into his skin. He was crying how he wanted to see you so badly. And then, on the day of the accident, he was so upset over what happened that he left in the morning without putting it on. Your necklace protected him, Erza. I'd say that's proof enough that fate wants you two to be together." Erza felt tears coming to her eyes, but this time she did not let them fall. Even after all these year, he never once forgotten her. She only wished she could say the same. She hated the orphanage. The kids would always pick on her because of her red hair. Jellal and Ultear had been the only ones who would protect her. After they were gone, it got worse for the girl. When she left, she tried her hardest to forget about that place and everyone in it. She almost succeeded, but Jellal never left her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried.

"I'm not feeling all that hungry, Ur..." Erza said as she laid down. The girl wanted to avoid the subject. She didn't want to think on it anymore. Not tonight. Ultear smile a kind smile and got off the bed. She pulled the bed covers up to Erza's collar bone. The woman patted her head softly before kissing her head softly, the motherly side of her really showing.

"Alright, Erza. Rest well." She picked up the tray and went downstairs. Back in his room, Jellal was tossing and turning. He groaned in pain and opened his eyes. A memory had returned. He remember leaving the Tower of Paradise orphanage with his sister. He remembered how he got the necklace. Erza gave it to him and he swore they would meet again. _But what happened after that?! What caused her to lie?!_ He rolled over and grabbed the necklace on the nightstand. He had taken it off before laying down to rest. He held it above his head, staring at it.

Erza woke up around ten am. She had not slept too well last night, having woken up every hour to check that Jellal was still there and that this hadn't been one messed up dream. She got up out of bed and went to the bathroom. A shower would help wake her up. The girl turned the water and waited for it to warm up before stripping and stepping under the water. Jellal awoke while Erza was in the shower, but stayed until he heard the sound of Erza leaving the house. He blinked and got up. The man changed before beginning to follow her, making sure to be sneaky.


End file.
